Design Wall Monday

I'm having such fun with the Castle Wall blocks.

I'm going to take these off the design wall one of these days and 

put them in the bin so they don't get attacked by kittens.

The blocks are finally all made for Grand Illusion.

I've procrastinated long enough and now the webbing of the top has begun. 

My top will be completed in no time. 

Then I'll start sewing those border blocks together.

I have a plan......

Check out Patchwork Times for fabulous designs walls.

Castle Wall Progress

I started sewing my Castle Wall blocks last Wednesday. I'm a tad bit obsessed with them right now. Block 6 is half full of diamonds already. I'm sure it will be finished this morning.  Blocks 7-10 are ready with several more fabrics set aside in bundles waiting to be cut into blocks. Crazy, I know!!

I've been hunkered down in the recliner with the dreadful cold/flu stuff. Not enough energy to do much other than watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix and stitch or nap.  Maybe I'll make a cup of tea or throw a load of clothes in the washer while waiting for the dogs to do their outside business but not much else is getting done.

If I make this full size, I need 56 blocks. At this rate I'll have it finished in no time at all.......that is not going to happen. LOL  Life will get back to normal again soon. I'm feeling better but still not 100%.

You can find great Castle Wall instructions at Mickey Depre's website.  I'm loving her 2015 project too.  So far I'm resisting but I'm weak right now so who knows what might happen.

Design Wall Monday

What a week last week was. I spent so little time in my sewing room, that when I finally did go in, I had to think about where I was with Grand Illusion.  I am at block construction.

The block rows are ready to sew together.  Now all I need is some time to sit and sew these together.  I'm excited to get some of these blocks up on the design wall.

I spent time with my Binding Friends on Wednesday and started my new hand sew project, Castle Wall. You can find all the info for this quilt at Mickey Depre's website.

I'm ready to refill my cup and tour a bit through Blogland. It's Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times.  I can't wait to see what's going on!!

Slow Stitching Sunday

I have an obsession with hexagons.  I admit it freely. I love those little things. I seem to have a hexagon project going all the time now.  After finishing up the hand stitching on Circle of Jewels (I can't believe I don't have a picture of the whole top!), I had to start something else.

I had a bin of strips the my friend Billie gave me. Her friend gave them to her, they were samples of a fabric line. I had kept them all together hoping someday to find the perfect project for them.  This table mat was it. I had ordered a template and papers kit over a year ago and knew it was time to use it.  I have enough cut for another mat but I'm not going to start it just yet.

Today I will put the outside border on and get it ready to quilt. I'll try quilting by hand but no promises.

Last year Mickey Depre worked on Castle Wall blocks as her year long project. This year I am doing it. (Although her new project is pulling at my heart strings!)  I wrote about my Castle Wall beginning here. This is my first block and last night I started my second one. But first I need to finish my table mat so I can dive in and create these.

I'm linking up with Kathy's Quilts-Slow Stitching Sunday and after my coffee cup is refilled, I'm seeing what everyone else is working on.

Happy Stitching.

The Caste Wall Project

All last year I have watched Mickey Depre work her Castle Wall blocks. She posted them to Facebook quite often. I loved them but didn't have time for another hand work project.  After finishing the hand stitching on Circle of Jewels, I needed a new project.

I had great intentions to start this quite a while ago and ordered the templates, only to have to them sit and age.  While moving some stuff around the other day, I stumble on to a fat quarter pack and thought they would be perfect to use to start Castle Wall.

Every Wednesday, I try to make it to my sewing group.....Binding Friends.  I decided this would be a good project to work on this year.  So this is block 1.  I have 3 more kitted up ready to stitch.  I've also pulled a few more fabrics to add to this.

For more information on Mickey's Castle Wall-The Block & Quilt, go to her website.  She has a tab with all her information.  I can't wait to work on block 2.

2015 Finish #1

I'm so happy to have this quilt finished.

Pieced Hexies started October 2013.

 Finished January 6, 2014.

Crochet Fever

It all started innocent enough.

The weather in December turned bone chilling cold.

I was shopping one day and found Lion Brand Unique yarn.

Oooohhh, pretty, pretty.

I bought 2 skeins.

Knowing Taylor walks alot, I figured she needed a new scarf.

I used this tutorial.

2 skeins was not enough.

I had to wait for more yarn.

It finally came in, I bought 2 more.

I finished her scarf.

Oh so soft and toasty.

On Facebook's The Crochet Crowd, I saw this challenge.

I went in and grabbed a skein of acrylic yarn and got busy.

I found the written pattern confusing but once I watched the video it all clicked.

I used a larger hook than the pattern said

 and for the smaller hat,

I just made it up as I went.

These are for Lacey and Estella.

I hope Estella's fits her.

I'll find out later today.

I love a good trip to town that involves being a passenger and lots of waiting/crochet time.

While getting the scarf yarn, I saw camo yarn and had to buy a skein.

Taylor loves all things camo!!!

I used a V stitch and crocheted until I was almost out of yarn.

She is very excited to wear this one,

I can't wait to give it to her.

What's next?

I have an afghan UFO that needs attention.

I'm going to get that afghan ready for my new to go project.

Night time recliner time is now back to sock knitting.

Design Wall Monday

Last week, after catching up with Grand Illusion Mystery clues, I pulled out Pieced Hexies and decided it was time to get this one finished.  I've stalled long enough!  I sat down at the machine and pieced the back and then it was on to basting.

While pin basting this 80" x 80" quilt using a banquet table, my sweet kittens thought I had made them a fabulous play fort. While playing, one of them snagged my fabric. Of course it's the fabric that I had used every single little inch of.

After whining to my Facebook friends, I decided to find a piece of kitty fabric and create a hexi applique to cover the hole. 

This was started October 2013 and the final border was put on just a few weeks ago. Granddaughter Taylor picked most of the hexi fabric combinations from Fairy Frosts and other sparkly fabrics that was gifted to me by my friend Sharlene. These were the perfect fabrics to use for a teen girl!  The hexi designs came from the books Pieced Hexies and Pieced Hexies Deux by Mickey Depre. I loved everything about making this quilt. Mostly I loved the bond I have with my granddaughter over our love of fabrics, quilts and each other.

I am having a blast quilting this. Cross hatching through the 9 patches, fun swirls through the hexies with echo quilting around the outside. I'm stuck on the outside border. I started something but wasn't happy with it so it's now pulled out. I'll get it figured out.

Monday's work will include removing the center marks from the hexies, quilt the border, trim and put on the binding. Then I can start putting Grand Illusion together.

See great design walls at Patchwork Times every Monday.

On The Needles

 Happy New Year! It's really hard for me to believe it's already 2015. I vividly remember Y2K like it was yesterday! Do you?  I didn't know how to knit then. It was still a dream. I quilted and did machine embroidery and crocheted. Now I quilt and knit. Times have changed--not much though.

I did it, I finished the No Purl Monkey Socks before the end of 2014!

I think I'll wear them today.

Since I was in the sock knitting mood,

I found Mojo.

An appropriate name since mine has returned.

Fun, quirky, something any teen (or their Gramma!) would love to own.

I had to finish the Monkey socks before I started these.

(I think that's the only reason the Monkey socks are finished.) 

I also cast on for a pair of Plain Jane Socks.

But decided I wanted something with some texture.

This morning I went searching through my Ravelry favorites for a new sock pattern.

I found Tadpoles.

A couple rows of unknitting and I will be able to start the design.

Or I can be a rebel and start it where I am at right now. 

I'll probably be a rebel.

I can't wait to see what others are working on.

We are sharing our projects at 

Patchwork Times-On The Needles.

Tiny Tuesday

Block 28 was fun! 

It's always fun to pull something out of the scraps and

turn it into something bright and happy.

These scraps were left from making rice bags.

Block 31 was a bit of a paper piecing challenge.

The center has been taken apart and redone.

3 times.

(3 times is my limit, if it doesn't work, well I tried.)

It really does look better than this, 

not perfect but better.

Perfection constantly eludes me.

I redid block 34.

I'm lots happier with this one.

I'm having fun with these Midget Blocks.

Lots of them are still available for free at

Sentimental Stitches under her free patterns tab.

I'm hoping to finish an applique block for next week.

Design Wall Monday and...

...Mystery Monday Link-Up

Quiltville's Mystery

Grand Illusion Part 5...

Easy Peasy

Super Quick

Super Fun

I love 4 patches.

I wonder what this will become.

I haven't even played with any layouts other than

the Part 5 4 patches to take a picture.

Oh do I need to buy a new camera.

One of these days!!

Linking up today at 

Patchwork Times 

and

Quiltville.

I love Monday in Blogland.

On The Needles

I'm still working on my No Purl Monkey Socks.

I am so slow....

but I am determined to finish these before the end of the year.

I think I have one more set of 11 rows before the toe decrease so

maybe by the end of the week.

Maybe!

I told Mae that these socks make my feet happy.

Her socks make her happy too.

So we had to take a picture of our socks.

Happy Feet is one of our favorite movies.

I think it's time to watch it again.

Tiny Tuesday

I went to my notebook and pulled out 4 pages which equals 8 block designs. When putting some things away I found a sandwich bag with these batik scraps inside the batik bin. Perfect fabrics for Merry Go Round-Block 33.

Block 34 has proven to be a giant pain in the keester! This is the 2nd block, block 1 was so wonky bad, it's is in the trash! This is supposed to measure 5" unfinished, this one measures 4 1/2".   It will go into either the garbage with the other one or the orphan bin.

I was so frustrated last night and decided to just pass this one over, but at 3:00 I woke up with a brainstorm. I have EQ7, create the stupid block there and resize it to the size I need. And paper piece the darn thing!  It took forever to go back to sleep.

I got up about 5 and played with EQ7.  Now I have papers printed for a block that will finish at 9" because I only drew out 1/4th of the block and sized it to print at 4 1/2".  LOL.........It's a bit early for my brain to be working this morning and it hasn't had even a sip of coffee yet. I changed the size to 2 1/4" and now I can be on my merry way to a new block.  It printed out 6 quarter units for me, just in case I have another bad day.....I need to remember to save this block, the way my luck has gone with it, I may need to print another page.  I will get this! I will!!

Here's hoping I have a better sewing day today.

Cascadia

Today Lori at Humble Quilts is hosting Cascadia Quilt Along Show Me Your Quilts.

Here is mine....finished!

Ignore the quilt past the red binding. 

My little quilt hangs right here beside me at my computer desk.

It covers up the calendar. 

That's a good thing.

Thanks Lori for another great Quilt Along!

Can't wait for the next one.

Design Wall Monday....

...and Mystery Monday Link Up

Grand Illusion Clue 4 is finished!

I love how my cute little clothespins fit in with the colors of the blocks.

(Except that red one. I guess it can be called deep pink.)

I'm now working on another Midget Block.

I'll show that on Tuesday.

I loved seeing all the clues together to show off all the colors.

I can't wait to see what happens next.

Monday morning I'll be linking up with Patchwork Times and Quiltville.

Merry Christmas

I hope yours will be merry and bright.

On The Needles

It's been a while since I've done an On The Needles post......October 10th!  I hadn't been doing much knitting until  one day I got a phone call from my daughter in love. She requested new dishclothes for her Christmas gift. OK, easy peasy!  I pulled out my laminated patterns and got busy.  I was keeping track of how many dishclothes I made this year and stopped counting in July at 11. These for sure put me into the 20s. I used up all the stash and gifted yarn and was able to buy more yarn for these. There is a bit leftover from each color but it will be used up into one dishcloth for me.  

My favorite patterns are DW Dishcloth and Grandmother's Favorite.  Both are free on Ravelry.

I did work on these socks a bit more.  They will soon become my evening project again. Maybe I can get them finished before the end of the year so I can say I finished 3 pair of socks this year.

Find out what other knitters are working on this week at Patchwork Times.  Aren't Judy L's mittens just the cutest!!! I want a pair for myself!

Tiny Tuesday Time Again

Today I finished up with clue 3 for the mystery and while putting some things away, I came across my notebook of Midget Blocks from Sentimental Stitches. I haven't touched these since January of last year! Almost 2 years ago. Talk about being a slacker!  It was fun working with these tiny pieces and now this is all I want to do. Not a good thing since I need to finish my Christmas shopping.  But I don't really want to, I'd rather sew.

Blocks 25 and 26 have joined the others in the notebook. I am missing block 23 so I'll either recreate it or do something else.  I looked at all the pages I have printed and I stopped at 136.  I see now there are 196 blocks. Oh My! Will I print them all? I don't know but I will look through them to see if there are some I want.  But I know myself and I will probably print them all.

I've procrastinated long enough. Now I must go do some shopping. Yeah! You know I'd rather sew. :)

Leaving A Little Hint

I spent some time Sunday evening working on Grand Illusion. I had just a few more short strips to sew together when I ran out of bobbin thread.  I pulled out my trusty little bobbin saver for a new bobbin only to find all my gray ones are now empty. Since I was sewing with black fabric on the bottom, I just finished up with a black bobbin.

Now I'm ready to quit for the night. I have to remember to wind bobbins before I start sewing again. I left myself a little reminder.  It was time for a new needle and some oil and the dust bunnies need to find their selves a new home. I think this whole process took 5 minutes and I am set to sew for a few more hours.

I love that short stubby screwdriver but I forgot it's too fat to fit the screws of the throat plate. The little pink makeup brush is the best for holding on to those dust bunnies.  Of course I don't remember when I changed the needle last but I knew it was time for a new one.

A clean machine is a happy machine and that means I can sew, sew, sew!
.

Design Wall Monday and ...

...Mystery Monday Link Up

This week, after finishing part 2 of Grand Illusion and a tis the season project, I spent my weekend working on part 3. I love checkerboard designs and can't wait to find out where this fits in to the grand plan.  I came across this piece and was thankful for the oh so subtle reminder.

Quilting is fun for me. I love each and every process about it. It makes me happy.  What else makes me happy is a fun pile of pieces waiting to be put under the pressure foot.  I stack mine up on my ruler to transport them from the cutting table to the machine.

Fresh off the ironing board are some of my blocks, counted and clipped into bunches of 10 of course.  I need 12 of these clipped stacks, I still have 8 clips to fill. Did you see Angela's tip about the clips?  You can read about it here.  I've been doing it that way for a long time.  Sure saves the brain.

It's Monday so that means I'm linking up to Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday and to Quiltville's Mystery Monday Link-Up

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Design Wall Monday and

Mystery Monday Link-Up

I need background noise while I sew. 

This weekend it was Netflix sweet and sappy movies.

I sit my little tablet and speakers right behind the machine.

After a while, these parts were finished for Grand Illusion.

Time to snip dog ears and get those wonky blocks in shape.

Most of mine turned out perfect but

there were a few that needed work.

I even had to use the ripper on some of them.

Now they are all pretty and ready for a partner.

Today I'm linking up at Patchwork Times and Quiltville.

Two of my most favorite people. 

The 2014 Bonnie UFO Challenge Finale

 TaaDah!

Two quilt tops finished!

Two quilt tops added to Mt. ToBeQuilted.

Bindings are made, labeled and stored away in the binding bin.

Plans for backings are drawn out.

It started here with a bag full of parts and a note to myself.

(Notes to myself are one of my best ideas ever!)

Actually it started in March 2008.

These quilts will be finished and gifted this summer.

It's always nice to have help from Miss Polly.

Not really!!

Thanks Jo for doing this challenge again this year!

I'm excited to have this one out of the bin!

Soon these will  be UFOs no more.

Check out Jo's beautiful quilt and 

see how others did with this challenge at Jo's Country Junction.